jaimie k's reflection to Taberski ch. 8 - 10...

Chapter 8

Guided readings are something I haven’t had the chance to try yet. I’ve watched my teacher do them from a distance, but I never led a group myself. Whenever she had to do them, she would have me watch over the rest of the class. It seems that she does something similar or exactly like what Taberski describes. She meets with groups of students and the groups are always the same. The students in the group are all around the same reading level. I think she chooses a book that’s around that level as well. When they’re doing the guided readings, they each get a copy of the same book and I think they take turns reading from the book.

I would like to try this strategy. It seems like it would be very helpful since it’s with small groups. Also, you can focus on what strategy that particular group needs to work on. There are less distractions and it’s easier to stop and help them.

Chapter 9

This chapter talks about analyzing words and whole-to-part phonics. I remember when we discussed this in class. At first I didn’t understand the concept of onset and rime, but Greg used a great comparison. He said it was like giving a child a puzzle and not showing him the box cover; and then expecting him to be able to make the puzzle without knowing what it’s supposed to look like. That’s what it’s like giving a child a word, and not telling him what it’s supposed to sound like. That makes total sense to me. How are they supposed to learn a word if they don’t know what sounds those letters make?

I love the idea of teaching students the words using the strategy of onsets and rimes. I plan on making a word wall, similar to the “Dependable Spelling Pattern Word Wall” that Taberski mentions in the book. It will definitely help the kids remember their phonics. In a sense, it helps the students memorize the sounds of certain onsets and rimes. They just have to remember that whenever they see a word with that onset or rime, it makes whatever sound. This will definitely help them in the beginning of learning the words, but as the words become more difficult, so do the strategies. Such as, learning to analyze syllables and discovering prefixes and suffixes.

Chapter 10

These one-on-one conferences are just like regular reading conferences and sort of like individual guided readings. The teacher meets with an individual student and talks to him/her about their reading.

It may not seem like a big deal, but starting off a conference with positive feedback is crucial. If not, then all the child hears is how bad their doing, what they need to improve on, and so on. It can really dampen a child’s spirit and push them further away from wanting to know how to read. They may think that they don’t do anything right if they don’t hear it from the teacher. When you tell them the positive first, then it’s a softer blow when you tell them what they need to work on. And I agree with Taberski, you shouldn’t sugarcoat your comments. It doesn’t mean you have to be cruel and call them names; but how will they improve if you don’t tell them exactly what they need to improve on. If you don’t let them know, they might never know. The last part is the part that reminds me of the guided readings. After the teacher tells them something they need to work on, they demonstrate the strategy and then sends them off to practice. That’s another thing that’s essential. I think it’s important for the teacher to demonstrate specific strategies to the students. Or else, how will they know how to use the strategy, when to use the strategy, etc. That’s why these conferences are so effective and valuable.